Phobia
by Janika
Summary: XANA hasn't attacked in nearly a week and the gang is just beginning to relax. All except for Janika, whose nightmares are driving her crazy. Is there more to this than just bad dreams? 5th episode
1. Dream

**_Post-production note: everything was written based on season 1. I know it's different and I kept going b/c otherwise I'd have to swallow my tongue._**

**Janika is in the gang, but one more person just seems to make things harder. Recently she was possessed by X.A.N.A. and nearly killed her friends, but Jeremy is still trying to understand how that was achieved.**

**This is my 5th story in the series. For those of you who have read all my stuff and keep coming back for more, I'll buy you a lollipop and a straightjacket before you go crazy and kill me for taking a definite shift in direction.**

**5-1: Dream**

(((-1-)))

_Janika ran across the barren landscape, trying desperately to escape the darkness, but everywhere she turned, it was there. The voice followed her tirelessly. It stopped her cold in her tracks like a snake coiling around its prey, ready to strangle the poor creature._

_Visions of leeches squirming and wriggling all over her body seemed to snap Janika back into herself. She screamed and screamed, trying to escape!_

Her eyes flew open. She was in her bed drenched in sweat. The girl's heart pounded furiously and her hands refused to stop shaking. It was just a dream. Only a dream…

(V)

Sissy kicked angrily at the ball and watched it bounce off the goalpost.

"I hate soccer. Why do we have to do this?" she demanded angrily.

Ulrich said nothing as he set down another ball. She flashed him what she thought would be a winning smile. He looked at her and blinked.

"Sissy, you have something in your teeth."

Her mouth snapped shut and she swung her foot at the soccer ball, mumbling something incoherent. Nearby, Odd was trying to coax Janika to try it.

"It's not like it'll kill you," he said with a grin. "C'mon. Will you do it for _me?_"

She nudged the ball with her toe and finally gave it a halfhearted tap. It rolled a few feet.

"What was _that?_ You did superb last week."

"I'm tired, that's all. I haven't been getting much sleep. I'm going to go back to my room, okay?"

"Oh no you don't!" Jim said marching over. "You kick five balls into that net or you'll be running laps around the school all day!" He crossed his arms and stared down at her.

Janika didn't even act intimidated. "I feel sick, okay?"

"Kick or run."

She realized everyone had stopped and was staring at her. She gulped and took a shot. The ball shot straight into the net past the leaping goalie and a few girls cheered, saying they wanted Janika on their team. But after she kicked, nausea overcame her and she found herself kneeling on the ground, coughing and dry-retching.

Odd knelt down beside her. "Jim, I think maybe she should go see Dorothy."

Silently the gym coach nodded reluctantly. "But if she's faking, she'll be doing laps for _two_ days."

Janika stood up and started walking toward the dorms. Odd ran after her.

"What's wrong, Janika? You've been acting weird lately. Why haven't I seen you in the cafeteria?"

"It's nothing," she said quietly. "I'm kinda fat and I thought I'd go on a diet."

He stopped. "_Fat?_ That has got to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say! You're not fat and you look like you haven't eaten in two days."

"Four. Look Odd, I just want to get back to safe—ugh!" The girl doubled over and fell to the ground, clutching her stomach. Her blonde friend reached down to touch her arm and she recoiled. "Get away from me!"

He backed off, but she continued to scratch and scrabbled at her arm where his hand had brushed against her skin.

"Get them off! Water, water!"

Odd watched as she took off for the nearest building. "What just happened?"

"I'd say she just went crazy," said an annoying voice behind him. Sissy flipped back her hair. "Such a pity too. My father always said he had a smart niece, but it looks like your little girlfriend finally cracked."

Odd bit back a sharp retort. Barely. Instead he shoved past her and waved Ulrich over. "Can X.A.N.A. affect a person's appetite?" he wondered.

The brown-haired boy shrugged. "You'd have to ask Jeremy to be absolutely sure, but I hope not for your sake."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

(V)

Jeremy bit the eraser of his pencil nervously as he stared at his notes.

"That _can't_ be it. That worked fine every single time. What am I missing?" He picked up his phone as it rang. "Ulrich?...Uh huh…Are you sure?...Well, there can't be any harm in checking it out…Sure, I'll do that. Bye."

He moved over to his computer and turned it on. "Aelita, we may have some trouble."

"Hello, Jeremy. What kind of trouble?" she asked as she formed on the screen.

"Well, Ulrich says Janika's been acting strange lately and I agree. You remember when X.A.N.A. possessed her last week?" The digital girl agreed. "Well, she broke free from his control at one point and said something I can't forget: 'Destroy me now before he realizes I'm vulnerable.' What do you suppose that means?"

"Well, I can't do much from here, but if you want me to, I could check her laptop."

He flashed a smile at her. "I was hoping you'd suggest just that."

"Be right back."

Aelita had no trouble getting inside Janika's computer. The problem came when she tried to find anything useful. There was so much superfluous material everywhere that it was like swimming through mud. She was finding it difficult to uncover anything of value.

Finally Aelita picked up the faint trace of something familiar. The trail led her to a miscellaneous file containing copies of the virtual cards of her friends and also another that looked nearly blank. The faint outline of Janika's cheetah-form identified it.

The pink-haired girl impressed the card into her own databanks and returned to speak with her the computer genius. Jeremy was waiting.

"How did it go?"

She sighed, relieved. "Jeremy, I have never encountered such bizarre files before. I don't know how to describe them. Nothing less than chaotic, that's for sure. She lacks organization. Is this what you wanted?"

She opened the card onto his screen and the computer nerd inspected it.

"Exactly what I needed to complete my research." He studied the frames, his brow creasing instantly. "This really is strange. It looks like she took a preexisting file and… Well, my only guess is that she _twisted_ it. The whole thing is messed up. How could she create a working program without any gaps or system failures from this piece of junk?"

Aelita cocked her head and whispered, "Maybe she couldn't."

**Ok, now don't overreact or anything, but it may be awhile before I update. I decided to just wing this one and write as I go along instead of write everything beforehand and publish it in a systematic fashion. This story is just going to come along as I work (and I don't work fast).**


	2. No Touchy

**5-2: No Touchy**

**Why does she have these phobias? You tell me. I'm just the mastermind, nothing more.**

(((-2-)))

Janika hugged the pillow to her chest. She rocked back and forth, trying futilely to comfort herself.

The water faucet didn't have a filter. Any number of germs could have made their way into the tender cuts and scars that had formed on her hands over the past few days. Maybe those were because of the rough bar soap. She should get a new one again. And her gums were red and sore due to her vigorous brushing even though she hadn't eaten in so long.

Janika looked around her room. There was no trash or dust to be seen, the vents were blocked off, and the wrinkles on her bedcovers numbered zero.

Everything blurred for a moment as she tried to understand her behavior. "What's wrong with me? I used to eat hot dogs and play with my cat at the same time, but now I can hardly go five minutes without washing my hands. I'm so hungry…"

No sooner had she said it out loud than visions of nasty rats gnawing on moldy bread and others of filthy bugs that clung to her skin, digging in their mandibles, assaulted her. She sank to the floor, crying freely now.

"Janika?"

She jerked her head up at the sound of a familiar voice. Aelita was staring, concerned, from her computer screen. The girl breathed a sigh of relief. At least she couldn't catch germs from her virtual friend.

"Hi," she said tiredly as she rose to her feet and went over. "What are you doing in my room?"

"Looking at your laptop, of course. Is something wrong? You're crying. Are you alright?"

The teenager slammed her fists down on the desk suddenly, making Aelita start in surprise. "_Why_ does everyone act so worried about me? I'm _fine!_ Just stop spying on me and…and don't…and…"

Janika swayed on her feet as the room began to twist out of proportion. She felt lightheaded and couldn't figure out why everything suddenly looked so far away. She tried to grip the chair but her fingers had no strength. The teenager's head lolled back and the last thing she heard was her friend's frantic voice.

"Jeremy!" Aelita called as she reappeared on his computer. "Janika's down in her room and she just fell down while she was talking to me!"

"You mean she fainted?" He grabbed a paperclip off his desk. "I know she usually locks her door. I'll go right down, Aelita."

"All right," she said before vanishing.

The blonde boy in glasses rushed out of his room, nearly slamming into a group of kids walking down the hall. Ignoring their indignant cries, he sprinted down the stairs to his friend's floor. Sure enough, her door was locked. He pulled out the paperclip and not-quite-expertly managed to get it open.

Once inside, his eyes fell on Janika's still form. He knelt beside her and shook her shoulder. The dark-haired girl was pale and shaking out of control.

(V)

Ulrich glared at Sissy as she sidled up to him, still waiting for his reply. "You know I'll do it, and then your little gang will be expelled. All except you, that is."

He twitched uncomfortably. She _would_ tell, and then they would be broken up and X.A.N.A. would have a go at Earth without anyone to stop him. Was saving the world worth this humiliation? It was a close call.

"So what's it gonna be?" she asked. He stared angrily at her and she stood up straight. "I could just walk over to my daddy's office right now and tell him about—"

"All right! I'll go out with you tonight, Sissy. Just don't tell your father what happened."

(V)

_Shadows reached for her, their long fingers tipped with wicked claws. They grappled with her, preventing her from fleeing. A larger shadow darker and deeper than any she had ever seen rose up before her._

_It seemed to laugh, tauntingly inviting her to eat as much as she wished.  
_

_The shadows changed from dark figures to slimy worms and maggots. Their writhing little bodies surrounded her, burying her alive! Janika tried to call for help, scream, anything!_

Her eyes snapped open and she gasped for air. Everything was white. There was a beeping noise beside her and the sounds of muted voices echoed hollowly in the room.

"Are you all right? The doctor didn't think you'd be awake for at least another hour."

Janika turned her head and saw Jeremy sitting in a chair beside her bed.

She chuckled almost ironically. "I couldn't sleep. Where am I? I feel so weak."

"The hospital. Aelita saw you pass out." He had been typing on his laptop and now put it down. The computer nerd looked excited about something.

But this place was making her nervous. Hospitals were full of sick people, and there was an air vent in the corner. It had probably carried germs all the way from the other end of the building...

"Well, I feel much better now so I'm gonna leave."

She started to sit up but was pushed back down by Jeremy's hand.

"You're not going anywhere for now. Just tell me what exactly is going on with you. I think I've figured it out, but—Janika?"

The girl's breath caught in her throat. She stared at her friend's hand the same way she would at a cobra. Her eyes widened and her jaw clenched as she tried to keep calm. _Don't move. Just keep still and it won't hurt you, _her thoughts rationalized.

"Janika? Is something wrong?" He reached out to her.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed in a voice very unlike her own. "Get them away from me!"

The dark-haired teen dodged his hand by falling off the other side of the bed onto the floor. The IV attached to her arm was yanked out as she staggered away from Jeremy. Her screams attracted the attention of a nurse. The woman ran in and tried to quiet Janika down, but by now she had backed into a corner and was lashing out at anything that came within reach.

Three men dressed in white finally burst in and hauled her forcefully back to the bed. Janika grew hysterical when they laid their hands on her. The nurse managed to dose her with a sedative at last and half a minute later the girl grew silent.

**I hate shots! I would have kicked that lady right in the face, but it's kinda hard to do when you're being held down by three bodybuilders.**


	3. The Plan

**5-3: The Plan**

**I have an important announcement: Will Smith, Orlando Bloom,** **Arnold**** Schwarzenegger, and Clint Eastwood have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with this fanfic. (Phew! I'm glad I got that off my chest!)**

(((-3-)))

Jeremy stood backed up against the wall. "What happened to her?"

The woman looked down at him as she began to clean up the mess. "I've been a nurse for a long time, but these cases vary from person to person. Your friend seems to have an advanced condition of OCD: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder."

"_Advanced!_ That's impossible! She was just fine last week."

Well, except for that little incident with X.A.N.A., of course. But that was on a need-to-know basis.

She focused all her attention on him as though he were the key to understanding Janika's behavior. "Did you ever notice her washing her hands or being nervous around other people?"

"Not until a few days ago. Like I said, last week she was a completely different person."

"Was there anything traumatic that might have triggered something like this between last week and this one?"

Jeremy opened his mouth to say no, but then he stopped. The nurse was waiting, so he had to say _something!_ "A car hit her a few days ago—" How lame was _that?_ "—but she wasn't hurt, so nobody really thought anything about it."

She looked skeptical, but nodded. "It's possible that was the cause. You should probably leave now. She'll be out for a couple hours and we'll take good care of her. If her condition doesn't improve we'll be sure to inform the school."

One of the guys in white came in carrying black straps and started fastening Janika securely to the bed. The boy took one last glance around the room before leaving. He went outside the hospital and sat down on a bench. Making sure no one was around, he opened his laptop.

"The problem is officially serious."

"What's the matter, Jeremy? Is Janika getting worse?"

He opened the file he had been working on before Janika had woken. "I would have to say yes, Aelita. I need to check for activated Towers. I should have done that in the first place but when you told me she fainted, it slipped my mind."

"You think X.A.N.A.'s behind it?" She looked relieved.

If it hadn't been caused by the virus then maybe it would have been a much worse situation than it was now. At least they knew there was a chance to fix it.

"I can't think of any other explanation. Ever since last Wednesday when she was under his control I've been trying figure out what she was trying to tell me. Now I think I have the answer."

(V)

Odd checked his watch and paced back and forth again. "Where is he?"

Yumi leaned against the bench. "Odd, it takes more than ten minutes to get from the hospital back to school."

He stopped pacing and began kicking up dust with the heel of his shoe. Suddenly Jeremy burst out of the shrubs behind the, breathing hard as though he had been sprinting, which he probably had.

"That was quick," the black-haired girl said at the same time that Odd yelled, "What took you so long!"

"Janika isn't getting any better and she won't as long as X.A.N.A. has a hold on her," he managed to gasp out. He paused to get his wind back. "Hey, where's Ulrich?"

Odd and Yumi glanced meaningfully at one another before looking at him seriously. "Sissy's interfering again. This time she threatened to tell her dad about that thing that happened a few weeks ago."

"What thing?"

"The **_thing_**," she repeated.

He still looked blank, so she pantomimed throwing something and breaking glass.

"Oh, _that_ thing!" Jeremy looked around nervously. "For the hundredth time, it was an _accident! _Well, we can't do this without him. Are you absolutely sure he's—Ulrich!"

The brown-haired boy crept into the clearing. He grinned at the others. "I found out Sissy doesn't like spiders. Thanks for the fake tarantula, Yumi." She smirked. "What did I miss?"

Jeremy filled him in on Janika's condition.

"So it really is X.A.N.A.. Do we go to Lyoko?"

The blonde one ignored the question, focusing instead on his new discovery. "I figured out what the problem is with her: she's missing a Special Ability."

They stared at him, blinking silently. It didn't seem that serious.

"Without it, the data for her Lyoko-warrior is incomplete. She's a perfect target for X.A.N.A.. Once he discovered the holes in her system he could affect her directly, which is what's happening now. He's convinced Janika that germs will kill her probably using filters in her subconscious. Dreams, I mean."

"So we need to get to Lyoko?" Ulrich said again.

Again, Jeremy ignored his friend's query.

"That's not the only thing wrong with her. Do you remember when she first went to Lyoko? I hadn't programmed her DNA into the supercomputer's memory banks, so she shouldn't have been able to remember _anything_. She did, and that means there was another fluke with her self-made program. That will be harder to repair."

This time Odd spoke, "So are we going to _shut down_ X.A.N.A.'s Tower?"

"We need to get her into a scanner at the factory so I can fix the problem, then we'll worry about the Tower. He's been influencing her without activating one for the past five days, so that means today he's launching an actual attack either at us or the city. We'd better keep our eyes open."

"Sorry for being skeptical, Jeremy," Ulrich voiced once more, "but how exactly are we supposed to get her out of the hospital? Personally, I don't think the nurses are going to let us wheel her out and if she's getting worse, it's unlikely she'll cooperate willingly."

"If we plan this thing just right we won't have any trouble with either of those things."

Yumi shook her head. "Jeremy, you're not thinking what I'm afraid you are, are you?"

He shot her a crooked smile.

"_Kidnapping?_ Do you have any idea how much trouble we'd be in if we get caught?"

"Would you rather she died in the hospital? We can always go back in time to avoid all that, so what's the big deal?"

She stared at him for a moment before finally heaving a sigh and giving her assent. "What's your plan?"

He set down his backpack with the laptop and pulled out a notepad. "I spent some time inspecting her room. She's on the second floor with a window onto the roof right next to her. There should be a fire escape on the far side that we can use to get her down."

"_Should_ be?!" Odd exclaimed.

"I saw the top of the ladder earlier. Anyway Odd, you can keep the nurses occupied while we go to work. She's tied to her bed so we'll need a knife, Yumi. We'll also have to swindle some things from the gym. Ulrich, that's you. I'll need something from Mrs. Hertz's room too..."

**As my friend Dantheman kindly pointed out, Jeremy has a devious mind.**


	4. Abduction

**5-4: Abduction**

**Now it's going to get interesting. If you people don't want Janika and her stories tossed out the window you'd better give me reviews. Oh, and this is dedicated to Dianna since she submitted the 100th total review I've gotten for all my stories so far.**

(((-4-)))

Janika shifted and twisted beneath the white hospital sheets that were now drenched in sweat. Her eyes flew open and she nearly cried out when she didn't recognize anything, but her throat was too dry to make more noise than a croak. She tried to move, but her hand wouldn't budge. Puzzled, Janika looked down and saw a black belt strapping her limb down.

There were several pairs of footsteps approaching the door so loud that they echoed. Janika had no way of defending herself! It opened and the girl came up short. They were her friends! All but Odd.

No sooner had she loosened up than new fears attacked her. What if they had _germs!_ Her fingers twitched. They felt sweaty, filthy, contaminated. She thrashed violently to get free though she knew vaguely that it was pointless. _Don't let them touch me! Oh Lord, please keep them away!_

"Janika," Jeremy whispered as he sat beside her in the chair.

He made no aggressive moves, but the adrenaline created from fear continued to flow through her system. The boy spoke slowly and concisely.

"We need to get you out of here. It's dangerous. The only safe place is the factory. Will you come with us?"

She couldn't concentrate on him. Her eyes wouldn't focus and her thoughts refused to stop flying erratically about her mind. What was he saying? She couldn't tell. Whatever it was, she didn't want any part of it. Janika shook her head back and forth furiously. _Just leave, leave!_

The blonde boy nodded. "I thought you might feel that way. It's all right."

She didn't expect him to cover her nose and mouth with a cloth reeking of chloroform. Her eyes widened and she tried to scream, but she was overpowered by the chemical and slumped where she was.

"Yumi, a little help?" he asked as he folded the rag and put it away.

"Sure," she said flipping open her pocketknife. The blade was keen and cut through the straps quickly. Ulrich had taken out the harness he would use to carry Janika down the fire escape when suddenly the door flew open.

"Going somewhere?" Sissy's obnoxious voice made Ulrich cringe. "If Odd was supposed to be keeping anyone from getting inside this room, he's not doing a good job of it. The little punk is busy with a snack machine down the hall."

"What do you want?" he snapped.

"To visit my cousin, of course." Her tone suggested anything but. She practically fluttered over to him and placed a hand delicately on his arm. "And also to find out what you were stealing from the gym. We still have a date for tonight, you know."

Yumi stood fuming off to one side. "Just leave us alone and get on with your pathetic life."

"That's too bad. I have my cell right here and it would be all too simple for me to call the police since you're planning something illegal." She swept her hair over one shoulder. "Unless a certain handsome boy standing in this room decides to go with me on our date."

Jeremy stepped forward, gulping. "I'll sacrifice myself for the greater good."

The others couldn't help snorting at that.

"Not you!" the insufferable girl recoiled. "I mean Ulrich!"

Yumi was in front of the brat in a bound. "If you take Ulrich out of this room right now, I am going to tear all your hair out," she said so seriously that Sissy took a step back fearfully.

"No, it's okay. I'll go with her." The brown-haired boy got between them and ushered Sissy toward the door. "Jeremy, wish me luck."

His friend shook his hand and then they left the room. Yumi was still staring transfixed at the doorway when Odd came staggering in.

"D-d-did you j-just see _that!_ Why didn't you guys stop them?"

Jeremy simpered coyly. "He'll just be a little late. I handed him the chloroform. It might take him some time to get her out of the way, but he'll be along soon." He opened the backpack and tossed the harness to the other blonde. "Put that on Janika. We still have to get her out of here and we definitely can't risk you dropping her."

They forced the window open and Yumi crawled out. Everything seemed okay so far. "Are you two ready?"

"It's too late to back out now anyway." Jeremy peeked back out into the hall. "Ulrich is distracting the nurses and Sissy's tapping her foot behind him. Let's do it."

They disconnected Janika from the heart monitor. That would raise red flags in the nursing station so they had to work fast. Odd hoisted the unconscious girl up and pushed her through the window to Yumi.

Jeremy followed, closing the window behind him. They raced across the rooftop to the fire escape. The two unprepared teenagers had expected a set of stairs with platforms on every floor. Instead they found themselves staring at a ladder that went _straight_ down.

"Oh man! How could this _possibly_ get any worse?" the girl groaned.

Suddenly a siren went off. The boys looked at her accusingly.

"It was a rhetorical question," she muttered.

**I always liked to call Sissy She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed-And-Then-Betrayed. Oh, and I also wanted to officially thank my friend Paz for those wonderful drawings of Janika. If anyone wants to see them, just email me. (She might freak when she finds out, but I think her stuff is worth it!)**


	5. Arrested

**5-5: Arrested**

**_Warning! Warning!_ This is a cliffy-chapter. You can kill me, yes, but then you'll never find out what happens. Ha ha! Foiled you again! _P.S. Dedicated to Paz for her input via regular email._**

(((-5-)))

The sirens were blaring, but luckily nobody had spotted the three kids and their prisoner out on the roof. Yet. All the nurses knew was that Janika was no longer in her room.

Without wasting any more time, Jeremy fastened the extra straps on the harness around Odd and Janika draped over his back. Yumi attached the length of rope they'd brought to the clip and they made certain she was secure. The boy began the long trip down, but not without complaint.

"Whoa! She's no featherweight. I thought she was supposed to be _starving_ herself this whole week!"

The safety lines held by Yumi supported some of the weight and kept him from overbalancing as he descended. Shouts echoed along with the sirens and the blonde kid tried to hurry. Finally his foot touched the ground and he stepped off the ladder. His two friends hurried down and started running with him.

"Over here!"

Yumi had gone ahead and was tugging at the bottom of a chain-link fence. Once they got past it they could make their way to the school and reach the factory safely along the usual route. She strained against it until the lower end bent upward.

The two boys barely scraped under and were trying to drag their unconscious burden through when a car turned down the street flashing red and blue lights! A pair of headlights illuminated them as they were still dragging Janika under.

Yumi gave her limp friend a shove, but the girl's brown braid snagged a wire on the fence and she got stuck! Odd tried to untangle the mess, but he was only making it worse and wasting time.

The older girl slipped a hand into her pocket. Usually she didn't resort to this kind of thing, but Sissy had just gotten to her that night. The knife sliced cleanly through Janika's hair and freed it.

"Yumi, get over here!" Odd hissed.

The cop car was getting close and slowing down.

She ignored him, instead facing the car. "You guys had better get going." She glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, and Jeremy, if you don't go back in time to erase this, I will _personally_ make sure you suffer for it."

The policeman stopped his car and got out, shouting at her to drop to the ground. She sprinted off, and the foot-chase was on. Odd picked up Janika again and the two boys dashed into the gloom.

(V)

Sissy held onto Ulrich so tight that it was getting hard for him to breathe. "Don't worry about your friends. I know they were just a bad influence on you."

"_They_ are a bad influence? You've obviously never considered yourself anything other than a perfect angel," he said rolling his eyes.

"I know what you were planning. I'm not blind. I just want to know _why_. She's always had problems and they just seemed to get worse when she got here. Her parents aren't fond of her, you know. Daddy says my aunt was popular when she was young and when Nika turned out to be nothing but a washout, she became second-best. Naturally, having a sister who—"

"Why exactly am I listening to this?! You don't know anything about it. You put your big nose where it doesn't belong and then you start talking about things that I doubt you have permission to say. Janika doesn't strike me as the type who would want us to learn about her from other people, so just quit right there!"

He managed to wrench his arm out of her tight grip but she pressed close to him, suddenly seeming nervous.

"Let's get out of here, Ulrich. It's going to be dark and we're outside in the open."

"What are you afraid of? The Boogey-man?" he said rolling his eyes.

Her serious face made him raise an eyebrow.

"You're afraid of an urban legend?"

"I most certainly am _not!_" she huffed, arms crossed. Sissy shut her eyes and stuck her nose in the air, turning away from him haughtily.

Without warning he clamped the chloroform cloth over her face! She thrashed in his grip and Ulrich thought he heard a muffled scream that sounded like "**_Boogey-man!_**" before she finally withered in his arms.

The boy propped her nerveless body up against a building and breathed a sigh of relief. He had to go catch up with the others now. They were taking a shortcut, if he remembered correctly.

No sooner had Ulrich turned down the right street than he caught sight of a police car parked in front of the fence. The driver's door was wide open and there were sounds of a struggle down the street in the shadows. Had they gotten caught?

(V)

_Just my luck to have ticked off the only cop in the force who could compete in the Olympics,_ Yumi thought dismally as the guy's knee dug cruelly into her back. He had tackled her to the sidewalk and handcuffed her.

"I warned you, kid," he said yanking her to her feet.

One leg felt like it was broken. "I was just hanging out with my friends. You startled us. Cops mean trouble, you know."

"You and your little pals just _happen_ to be moping around near a hospital that just had a break-in and kidnapping, hmm?"

_They better have gotten Janika to safety. __If they screw it up, I'm going to kill them before X.A.N.A. has a chance to! _she promised silently.

He dragged her back to the patrol car without being lenient on her poor leg. She was stuffed unceremoniously into the back seat. Her cell was in her back pocket. She edged her hand over to it as the car started to move, lights still flashing.

The cop spoke several words of police-code into his radio and requested backup to find a couple teenagers that had abducted someone from the hospital.

Yumi froze suddenly as she heard the radio cackle with eerie static. The hair on the back of her neck stood up straight and she tensed. _Please don't let it be him!_ she begged.

The officer dropped the receiver as it sparked visibly in his hand. "What the—" He slammed on the brakes. "What's going on?"

"Sir, could we please leave the car?" she asked, trying her best not to sound panicked. She couldn't run or defend herself in this position. If X.A.N.A. struck right then and there, she was as good as dead.

The car revved and he let out an exclamation. It shifted into drive suddenly and the adult panicked. Fumbling with his door, the cop forgot all about Yumi trapped in the back. She kicked his seat to attract attention, but as the tires squealed, he managed to get the door open and fall out onto the pavement.

The black-haired girl braced herself as the car picked up speed, veering toward a telephone pole! The front end crumpled like tinfoil and Yumi was a rag doll thrown forward. An explosion tossed her back again as the engine blew up.

**You know how hard it is to keep these things from getting cliché? Some of you might think this X.A.N.A.-attack is a bit familiar, but it's not a bus or a couple of trains and serves a pretty simple purpose: kill.**


	6. Car Chase

**5-6: Car Chase**

**I definitely need romantic advice. My idea of a cute little love scene is where the girl bats her eyes at the guy after he gives her flowers. Or chocolate, I like chocolate...**

(((-6-)))

Jeremy clipped the safety rope to the harness again and slowly made his way up the ladder. Odd leaned up against the side of the sewer and tried to slow his wildly beating heart. As he was waiting, the girl strapped to his back began to murmur in her sleep.

"…I can't…" she breathed. "…Ulrich, don't…Odd is…I like him too…"

The blonde boy's face flushed scarlet in the near-darkness. Did she _really_ have feelings for him?

The computer nerd yanked on the leash for a third time to attract Odd's attention. Her hand squeezed his shirt momentarily, then she fell silent as she lapsed into a deeper sleep. He laboriously rose up the ladder to join Jeremy. They made their way across the bridge and then to the lift.

The kid with glasses was skittish the whole time. He kept looking around, expecting something to jump out at him.

"X.A.N.A. should have attacked us a long time ago. The Tower's been activated too long without doing anything."

"Personally, Einstein, I could care less at this point. Could you just tell me where to put her?" Odd panted. He felt like he was ready to drop any second.

"The scanner. I'd better send you to Lyoko, so you'd better get in one too."

The elevator stopped and he got out. Jeremy logged onto the computer, smiling at Aelita as she appeared onscreen.

"How are things?"

"Not good, Jeremy. There are three Megatanks and just as many swarms of Hornets between me and the Tower. It's in the Polar Region." She opened a program. "This should make your job with Janika easier. I've already reconfigured the absent data into the equation, but you'll have to do the application yourself."

"You're a life-saver, Aelita. I'll finish everything with her and send her your way, but I'm virtualizing Odd now."

It was done in less than a minute and then he turned to the more delicate task of reconstructing his friend's computer layout.

(V)

Odd leaped to the side as two Megatanks fired at once. Another Hornet blasted him and he fell forward onto his face. Aelita pulled him to his feet where he stood weakly.

"Jeremy, I can't do this all on my own. I need backup! Where's Ulrich?"

"I don't know. All I can do is give you fifteen more arrows right now. I'm completely swamped with Janika's program."

The pink-haired girl glanced at him. "I have an idea, Odd. Let's take cover over there where they can't see us."

The two friends took shelter in the small space between a pair of ice pillars. Just as the Hornets were approaching, Aelita knelt down, hands folded. As she sang the single somber note, two images appeared in front of them: herself and Odd.

The copies stood still for a moment before taking off running away from the Tower. Six Hornets fired wildly and a Megatank pursued them. As she was still humming, Odd leaped out of hiding and pounded a few Laser Arrows into the remaining Hornets that were still hovering undecided nearby.

The two other Megatanks caught sight of the commotion and rolled toward them purposefully.

(V)

Blood trickled down into her eye from a laceration on her forehead. Fire consumed the car's front and was beginning to work its way inside. Yumi desperately twisted her hands around to get at the door, but it was locked!

The searing heat blistered her skin as she struggled angrily. This couldn't be happening!

The window beside her cracked as something rammed into it and she backed away. It shattered and a hand thrust through to grab her. Hands still hampered behind her back, she was dragged out, sliding over fractured glass that tore her skin.

The one that had rescued her towed Yumi away from the burning cop car. She looked up into Ulrich's eyes and gave him half a smile. "How awful do I look?"

"Not too bad. Let's get you out of here before that thing explodes."

He pulled her to her feet and they started walking away, but the cop suddenly appeared behind them, enraged.

"_What_ did you punks do to my _car!_" he demanded. His hands clamped down on their shoulders. "And don't try to play innocent with me."

"Sir, we need to get out of here before—"

Ulrich cut off as he heard the fiery vehicle whine and squeal. With a glance back, he realized X.A.N.A. wasn't entirely finished with them.

"Run!"

Yumi managed to slip out of his grasp and sped away into down the street, but the officer refused to let go of Ulrich until the car was almost on top of them. The dark-haired girl didn't understand how it could still be moving with flames bursting out of the engine and wheels melting from the heat, but it was!

Ulrich darted after her with the car right on their heels. He yanked Yumi into an alley off to one side and their wheeled pursuer screeched to a halt, fire dancing madly inside the cab.

While they were momentarily safe, Ulrich used a metal pipe lying beside a dumpster to bash the lock on his friend's handcuffs. The girl ducked as a piece of red-hot shrapnel struck the dumpster and set the garbage there ablaze. The car continued trying to reach them.

"We can't stay here!" she screamed over the noise of twisting metal and crackling flames.

"That thing'll be after us the minute we leave!" he yelled back.

"We have to give it a shot, Ulrich." Tugging his sleeve, they ran down the alley toward the far end where a brick wall hemmed them in.

The boy locked his hands together to boost Yumi up and over. The wheeled pile of flaming scrap seemed to understand what was going on and left the entrance of the burning alley. It was going to meet them on the other side.

(V)

Janika felt strange. She had been plagued for so long by dreams of terror and misery that the silence was unfamiliar, but blessed. At one point she saw Ulrich and he had touched her cheek, but there was Yumi standing behind him, watching with a hawk's eye.

She had pushed away from him as he leaned closer, thinking of what her other friends would think. She knew it wasn't right. Words passed between them, whispers only, but in the end Ulrich vanished and she appeared in a new corner of her mind.

"Janika?"

She didn't recognize the voice.

"_Yeah, that's me."_

She felt weird, like she was weightless or invisible.

It was insistent. "Wake up now!"

"_I am awake. Can't you see that?"_

"Good. Aelita and Odd are in serious trouble. You have to go help them before it's too late!" The voice paused, clearly torn over something. "I haven't worked all the bugs out of your system, but we have no time left."

"_I'll help them if I can, but where am I?"_

"Well, now you're in Lyoko."

There was a rush of wind and the familiar sensation of being virtualized.

**I hope she figures out how to use her new Special Ability pretty soon. Only a chosen few know it right now. Isn't that right, Dan?**


	7. Bloodlust

**5-7: Bloodlust**

**Let's see…where were we last time? Oh yeah! Yumi and Ulrich are over the wall and Janika just got rid of her senseless phobias, not to mention the fact that the other two are being swamped with dozens of monsters. **

(((-7-)))

Odd pushed Aelita out of the way as the first Megatank fired. He narrowly escaped the beam and sent a pair of arrows at the eye before its protective covering could snap shut. But even as it exploded, the other tank had converged on them from a different direction and had its sights set on the pink-haired girl.

Aelita, weakened from her prolonged synthezation, couldn't move quickly enough to avoid the wall of red energy. It slammed into her while Odd was busy off a pair of Hornets that had ventured too close.

She hit the icy ground with a cry and was about to roll off the edge of a platform when a hand reached out and pulled her back. The digital girl smiled gratefully up at the cheetah-Warrior.

"Did Jeremy repair you?"

"I don't know, but I sure hope so. Let's get you to the Tower." She helped her friend to her feet. "Now if I could just figure out what my Special Ability is. Jeremy, are you allowed to give me a hint?"

The supercomputer's operator sounded distracted. "It's called Bloodlust, but I'm not sure how you access it. Right now I'm still working on fixing the final—look out for that Megatank!"

Janika rammed Aelita out of the way and cast a shuriken at her foe. The weapon glanced off the thick shell harmlessly. There was an explosion behind her and she turned to see Odd just lowering his arm after destroying a sneaky Hornet that had been ready to attack her.

She smiled faintly at him and then dove right to avoid another shot. The three friends huddled together.

"We need to get you out there," Odd said to Aelita, "but all those stupid robots keep getting in the way. We tried the decoy, but they just came straight back. A frontal assault doesn't do much good either when they outnumber us four to one. We need a new tactic."

The green-eyed girl was about to say something when a strand of hair blew across her face. She froze suddenly, all her features turning cold.

"What…happened…" she said, drawing the words out slowly, "…to my hair?"

Odd instantly grew uneasy. "Well…you see, it got caught when we were rescuing you and…Yumi kinda…did that."

Janika angrily threw back what was left of her unraveled braid. "I'm gonna _kill_ her!"

White-hot anger welled up inside her. The claws on her hands lengthened, turning dagger-like and deadly, at the same time that fangs sprouted in her maw. The soft tones of her orange fur shifted to a darker, more dangerous shade. A catlike yowl issued from her throat as she leaped out of hiding.

Like orange lightning she decimated the remaining forces sent by their enemy. Janika hardly used her shurikens as she slashed and ripped her foes to pieces with her claws. She didn't run on two legs, but rather crouched and leaped from monster to monster on all fours.

They erupted in showers of sparks and pieces of shrapnel as the Warrior—more animal than human—furiously slaughtered them all.

(V)

Jeremy gaped at the readings on his monitor. "They're off the charts! Is this really Bloodlust? There is _no_ possible way she can keep a grip on herself under this kind of strain." He fiddled with the keys. "Odd, make her stop! She's overloading her own systems!"

"_You_ make her stop! She just took down X.A.N.A.'s army single-handed." Odd's reply was full of amazement and perhaps a trace of fear.

(V)

Teeth bared in a feral snarl, Janika sought more enemies to dispatch. She saw none except a figure with pink hair peering out from behind a bulge of ice. Ready to pounce at it, Janika failed to notice one last Hornet behind her. Stinger aimed, it sent a blast of poison toward the cheetah-girl.

Janika definitely hadn't expected to be attacked. The force of the hit knocked her end over end until she bumped against an ice pillar and lay still, half covered in green liquid. A Laser Arrow finished off the robot.

Jeremy was yelling at Odd as he rushed over to her. Aelita made sure the coast was clear and took off for the red-rimmed Tower.

"What just happened?! One second her stats were ceiling-high, the next she's a hair away from being devirtualized! Odd, keep her safe for two more minutes. That's all the time I need."

Unfortunately, that was also all the time the loco car would need to finish off Yumi and Ulrich. Not that Jeremy knew that.

(V)

They were trapped in a parking lot full of expensive cars with nowhere left to run. Once the car got past the fence, they were done for. The dark-haired boy finally managed to dial Jeremy's number while they were running and got his friend on the phone.

"We're in deep sludge here, Jeremy! Is Aelita even _close_ to the Tower yet?"

He answered hurriedly, "She's waiting for my signal. She's standing right outside until I can finish correcting Janika's virtual matrix. Just another few lines of code and it'll be complete. Why? What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing much. X.A.N.A. has a burning car chasing us, that's all," Ulrich's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "We're pretty defenseless here since there's a stupid electric fence around the whole place and I doubt that'll keep something that doesn't feel pain at bay for very long."

"You're in that car dealership with the fancy vehicles, aren't you?"

"Yep. We climbed over a brick wall and now we're stuck. If you can hurry it up we'd really appreciate it."

"I'm doing the best I can."

Ulrich looked up as the fiery light came closer. The possessed car rammed into the fence and suddenly there were fireworks. Sirens and lights flared to life as the inanimate intruder entered the lot.

The car seemed to have some sort of homing device and knew exactly where the two teenagers were. They were up and running a moment later as the flaming automobile revved, slamming into a silver car. It followed them doggedly as they fled.

"Anytime, Jeremy!" he yelled into his cell. "Preferably _before_ we get run down."

"All right! I can't risk your lives. I'm not done, but at least Janika won't be deleted. I'm sending Aelita in. Hang on for a few more seconds, you two!"

Yumi pulled Ulrich behind a truck and dropped to the ground. "If we don't make it out of here, I want you to know something, Ulrich." He turned to her, listening intently. "I...really, _really_ like you."

And then she kissed him. Just a soft, tender kiss, but it was the best she could do on such short notice.

(V)

Janika blinked slowly. Everything was hazy. Finally she managed to focus on the figure kneeling over her. Her vision cleared slightly and she caught sight of Odd's purple clothes.

He smiled down at her. "That was cool. If X.A.N.A. sends any more monsters, it'll be too late for them to interfere. Aelita is about to enter the code now. Just relax."

He started to rise, but she reached out and grasped his four-fingered hand, suddenly anxious. For some reason she felt like she would never get this chance again.

"Odd…tell Ulrich I will wait for him…even if I can never have him. I'm sorry..."

The hopes he'd been harboring deflated. Odd could only crouch there, his hand in her clutch as a wave of white light enveloped them both.

The code barely saved Yumi and Ulrich as they threw themselves down to avoid the half-melted wheels of the deranged car. And then the past returned to be remade…

**The reason it's taken me so long to update is b/c I've been home, and since there's no place like home, I've been busy taking care of bratty little Munchkins. (grumbles to self) I'll teach them to mess with me!**


	8. Recap

**5-8: Recap**

**This is the part where everyone realizes Janika is controlled by an alien slug in her head. Or maybe I'm thinking of Animorphs…? Oh, and this is dedicated to Dantheman7777 for giving me a surprise appearance in his story that I didn't even know I was in. Thanks!**

(((-5-)))

Janika heard beeping nearby and distant voices. Gradually, her eyes opened. She realized she was in a hospital. But why? There were people in the white room with her. Children no older than herself, really. Three of them.

The Japanese girl noticed she was awake first. "Janika! Are you feeling better yet?"

"Do I know you?" she inquired hoarsely.

The unfamiliar girl's face fell. "You don't remember me?"

Janika's blank look answered the question.

"Jeremy, you were right. She has amnesia. What are we going to do now?"

"I don't know, Yumi," the blonde boy murmured. "I guess all we _can _do is leave her alone from now on."

The boy with dark brown hair beside him snorted. "_X.A.N.A.'s_ not going to leave her alone just because she can't remember. She'll have to leave Kadic. We can't risk her getting hurt or killed just because she didn't know."

"Ulrich, you know we can't _force_ her to leave," 'Yumi' protested. "Her parents sent her here, and they would have to decide themselves."

The girl in bed didn't like this. The strangers were talking about her like she wasn't there. Was she part of some undercover plot or something? What had she forgotten that was so dangerous she could be murdered?

The boy named Ulrich came over to her. He was kinda cute, but she tried not to look straight at him. Those piercing brown eyes probed her face for any flicker of recognition.

The door opened. "I brought Sprite, Dr. Pepper and Coca-Cola. Who wants what?"

Janika's eyes fixed on him as she saw the spike-haired boy enter the room. He noticed she was awake and smiled instantly.

"Feeling better, are we?"

_She stared up at him from where she lay, almost through a haze of fog. He wasn't handsome, but definitely kindhearted and humorous. She knew he cared for her, but how could she admit the truth?_

_He began to stand and suddenly she felt time slipping away. She had to tell him! There might not be another chance. She groped for his hand—such a strange hand—and pulled him back, saying his name aloud._

"Odd!" she cried out joyfully. She knew him! "You're the panther-boy!"

(V)

A couple hours later she was sitting on a bench outside Kadic Jr. High, her memory still piecing together. Her adventures on Lyoko were faint, but she was recovering quickly, though some things remained obscure.

Ulrich looked up at a clock nearby. "Hey! It's almost time for me to meet Sissy. Got any ideas for a gag?"

"My rubber tarantula again?" Yumi wondered.

"Maybe, but it would be nice to get a picture for the school paper too," he smiled evilly. "Millie and Tamiya wanted something good."

"Sissy and spiders?" Janika spoke up. "I am _so_ there! Let's hurry up and go, but can we get something to eat first? I'm _still_ famished."

(V)

Janika got all the Orb spiders out of the biology room and stuffed them inside a brightly colored box. Ulrich took it and waited for the Target to approach him alone near the soccer field. Right on cue, she showed up and was about to hound him when she noticed what he was holding.

"What's that?" she wondered curiously.

"Something for Biology. You wouldn't like it even if I was allowed to let you see it. Now what do you want?" he said in a tolerant voice as he set the box down beside him on the bench.

Eyes still on it, Sissy laid out the accusation. "You remember the window that used to be in the Art department, right? Well, I could tell my daddy _all_ about it. Destruction of school property is punishable by suspension."

"Jeremy didn't mean to, and you know it, Sissy. He helped Jim fix it anyway."

"That doesn't change the fact that he did it. Now, either you go out with me tonight, or your little friend will be packed up and gone by Friday." She stood there smugly, thinking she had him cornered.

Ulrich stood up. "I'll consider it, Sissy."

And then he walked away, leaving the tempting box conspicuously behind.

Her fingers twitched as she reached for it. The lid came off and she stared at a cluster of large spiders waving their legs about and struggling to crawl out of the box. Sissy took one look and flung them away, squealing and trying to get the insects off her arms, all thoughts of Ulrich gone for good.

She actually took the surprise very well, considering the circumstances. As it was, the picture was hardly necessary since she had opened the box in the middle of campus during lunchtime.

"She always did suffer from arachnophobia," the dark-haired girl chuckled as she and Odd walked alone toward the dorms. She glanced sidelong at him. "You know, I had kind of a flashback when I saw you in the hospital earlier. We were on Lyoko and I was about to say something really important. Trouble is, I don't remember what it was. Do you?"

Odd kicked a rock and watched it bounce off a post as he answered. "Sorry. We went back in time as you were about to tell me."

Janika shrugged. "Oh well. There's no point in crying over spilt milk. I don't know if I'll ever remember, but if I do, you'll be the first to know."

Thinking of the flashback reminded her of the look in his eyes as they stared at one another. They must have had some sort of understanding before, unless she was mistaken.

In a courageous moment, the short girl leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. He stumbled.

"See you later, Odd," she said, smiling.

**_Ha ha!_ You people thought I was going to have Janika fall for Ulrich all over again, didn't you? Well, this is more satisfying to me. Since she had amnesia, she thought Odd and herself were close already, so that's the end of her and Ulrich.**


End file.
